The 2011 edition of the annual George Trundle NZ Masters held in Auckland last month was the first not to have the support of its eponymous sponsor in person. Sadly, George Trundle, a devotee of chess since learning it as a POW in the Second World War, passed away in March, aged 93. The Masters was convincingly won by 14 year old FM Bobby Cheng, who lead from start to finish. His score of 6½/9 also earned him his first IM norm. Cheng was coached in Auckland for many years until moving to Australia, before going on to win the world under-12 championship. The next two places also went to Victorians: top seed GM Darryl Johansen on 6 and IM Igor Goldenberg on 5½. The highest placed locals were Auckland FMs Bruce Watson and Mike Steadman on 5 points. Today's game is the fascinating sixth round clash between the leader Cheng on 4 points and Steadman on 3½, the only other realistic contender for the IM norm. Cheng's win with the White pieces allowed him to coast home with three draws.
1.d4 e6 2.Nf3 f5 3.h3!? ---
As in the previous column's game, the Dutch Defence meets with an aggressive h-pawn move, looking to exploit Black's early f5 with a kingside wing gambit. 3.--- Nf6 4.g4 b6
The alternative 4 ...d5 with a solid stonewall setup has been played more often. Greed definitely does not pay, as can be seen by the typical line 4...fxg4? 5 hxg4 Nxg4 6 Qd3! g6?! 7 Bg5 Nf6 8 Rxh7! Rxh7 9 Qxg6+ Rf7 10 Ne5 Qe7 11 Nxf7 Qxf7 12 Qxf6 winning a pawn. 5.Bf4 Bb7 6.Nbd2 g6
Looking to maintain a solid central pawn structure by supporting f5. 7.Rg1 d6 8.e3 Qe7 9.gxf5 gxf5
The result of the opening is that Black cannot castle on the kingside as is normal in the Dutch, and White seems to have lost a couple of tempi. 10.Bd3 Nbd7 11.Bh2 Bh6 12.Qe2 O-O-O 13.a4! ---
Black may have expected 13 0-0-0, after which the game is level. This move shows that White is not behind in development after all. Why waste time castling when his pieces are poised for an assault on the black king? 13.--- a5 14.b4! axb4 15.a5 Nd5
White has forced open a file at the cost of a pawn, so Black hurries more defenders to the queenside. 16.Ba6 Nb8 17.Bxb7+ Kxb7 18.axb6 cxb6?!
This move gives White too many targets. Black's structure is more resilient after 18...Kxb6, when 19 Nc4+?! Kb7 achieves little with d6 and b6 firmly defended. 19.Nc4 Nc3 20.Qd3 b5!?
Trying to dominate the queenside entry squares – but at the expense of further weakening. 20...Nc6 may have been more prudent. 21.Na5+ Kb6?!
The king is just too exposed here and should have gone to c8. White immediately shows up the error. 22.d5! e5 23.Nd4! Qh4
Of course not 23...exd4? 24 Qxd4+ Kc7 (24...Ka6 25 Nc4+ leads to mate) 25 Qa7+ winning the queen. Now instead of a clear advantage after 24 Nxf5 Qxh3 25 Bg3, White goes after the black king with a speculative knight sacrifice. 24.Nxb5?! Nxb5 25.Nc4+ Kb7 26.Nxe5 Nc7
A strong alternative was to keep the a-file closed by 26.... Na3! White's best then is surprisingly not 27 Nf7?! Bxe3! 28 Nxd8+ Rxd8 29 Rg7+ Kc8 30 Qxf5+ Nd7! and the threat of Q or B to d4 or 31...Bxf2+! actually puts Black on top. Instead 27 Rxa3! bxa3 28 Qb3+ Kc7 29 Qc3+! Kb7 30 Nf7 a2! 31 Nxh6! Qa4! 32 Kd2 Rhf8 33 Ra1 Na6 leads to a dynamically balanced position. 27.Nf7 Bxe3?
Finally missing a tactical detail on d6, weakened by the pawn capture earlier. After 27... Qf6! 28 Nxd8+ Rxd8 29 Rb1 Nba6 30 c3 Qf7! 31 cxb4 Qxd5 Black is right in the game. 28.Qxe3! Rhe8 29.Ra7+ Kc8 30.Nxd6+! Black resigns
After 30...Rxd6 31 Rxc7+ Kxc7 32 Qxe8 material is almost equal but the pin on d6 will cost more after 32...f4 33 Qe5! Nd7 33 Qxf4 etc.
Cheng wins George Trundle Masters
Problem: Black to play and mate in 3.
The 2011 edition of the annual George Trundle NZ Masters held in Auckland last month was the first not to have the support of its eponymous sponsor in person. Sadly, George Trundle, a devotee of chess since learning it as a POW in the Second World War, passed away in March, aged 93.
The Masters was convincingly won by 14 year old FM Bobby Cheng, who lead from start to finish. His score of 6½/9 also earned him his first IM norm. Cheng was coached in Auckland for many years until moving to Australia, before going on to win the world under-12 championship. The next two places also went to Victorians: top seed GM Darryl Johansen on 6 and IM Igor Goldenberg on 5½. The highest placed locals were Auckland FMs Bruce Watson and Mike Steadman on 5 points.
Today's game is the fascinating sixth round clash between the leader Cheng on 4 points and Steadman on 3½, the only other realistic contender for the IM norm. Cheng's win with the White pieces allowed him to coast home with three draws.
1.d4 e6
2.Nf3 f5
3.h3!? ---
As in the previous column's game, the Dutch Defence meets with an aggressive h-pawn move, looking to exploit Black's early f5 with a kingside wing gambit.
3.--- Nf6
4.g4 b6
The alternative 4 ...d5 with a solid stonewall setup has been played more often. Greed definitely does not pay, as can be seen by the typical line 4...fxg4? 5 hxg4 Nxg4 6 Qd3! g6?! 7 Bg5 Nf6 8 Rxh7! Rxh7 9 Qxg6+ Rf7 10 Ne5 Qe7 11 Nxf7 Qxf7 12 Qxf6 winning a pawn.
5.Bf4 Bb7
6.Nbd2 g6
Looking to maintain a solid central pawn structure by supporting f5.
7.Rg1 d6
8.e3 Qe7
9.gxf5 gxf5
The result of the opening is that Black cannot castle on the kingside as is normal in the Dutch, and White seems to have lost a couple of tempi.
10.Bd3 Nbd7
11.Bh2 Bh6
12.Qe2 O-O-O
13.a4! ---
Black may have expected 13 0-0-0, after which the game is level. This move shows that White is not behind in development after all. Why waste time castling when his pieces are poised for an assault on the black king?
13.--- a5
14.b4! axb4
15.a5 Nd5
White has forced open a file at the cost of a pawn, so Black hurries more defenders to the queenside.
16.Ba6 Nb8
17.Bxb7+ Kxb7
18.axb6 cxb6?!
This move gives White too many targets. Black's structure is more resilient after 18...Kxb6, when 19 Nc4+?! Kb7 achieves little with d6 and b6 firmly defended.
19.Nc4 Nc3
20.Qd3 b5!?
Trying to dominate the queenside entry squares – but at the expense of further weakening. 20...Nc6 may have been more prudent.
21.Na5+ Kb6?!
The king is just too exposed here and should have gone to c8. White immediately shows up the error.
22.d5! e5
23.Nd4! Qh4
Of course not 23...exd4? 24 Qxd4+ Kc7 (24...Ka6 25 Nc4+ leads to mate) 25 Qa7+ winning the queen. Now instead of a clear advantage after 24 Nxf5 Qxh3 25 Bg3, White goes after the black king with a speculative knight sacrifice.
24.Nxb5?! Nxb5
25.Nc4+ Kb7
26.Nxe5 Nc7
A strong alternative was to keep the a-file closed by 26.... Na3! White's best then is surprisingly not 27 Nf7?! Bxe3! 28 Nxd8+ Rxd8 29 Rg7+ Kc8 30 Qxf5+ Nd7! and the threat of Q or B to d4 or 31...Bxf2+! actually puts Black on top. Instead 27 Rxa3! bxa3 28 Qb3+ Kc7 29 Qc3+! Kb7 30 Nf7 a2! 31 Nxh6! Qa4! 32 Kd2 Rhf8 33 Ra1 Na6 leads to a dynamically balanced position.
27.Nf7 Bxe3?
Finally missing a tactical detail on d6, weakened by the pawn capture earlier. After 27... Qf6! 28 Nxd8+ Rxd8 29 Rb1 Nba6 30 c3 Qf7! 31 cxb4 Qxd5 Black is right in the game.
28.Qxe3! Rhe8
29.Ra7+ Kc8
30.Nxd6+! Black resigns
After 30...Rxd6 31 Rxc7+ Kxc7 32 Qxe8 material is almost equal but the pin on d6 will cost more after 32...f4 33 Qe5! Nd7 33 Qxf4 etc.
1-0
Solution: 1 ... Rd1+! 2 Bxd1 Ng3+! 3 hxg3 (or fxg3 or Kg1) Qe1#.